A Completely Innocent Addiction
by Just A Starving Writer
Summary: [SK][Complete][Edited] An obsessed miko, a bored demon lord, and the shared need to be entertained, all combined by a completely innocent addiction.
1. Part 1

**A Completely Innocent Addiction  
**_Just A Starving Writer_

**_Disclaimer:_** nope, not mine.

**_Author's Note_** _(first, last, and only)_More of an author's plea, really. I must confess, I still have no idea where I got this or why I even bothered writing this. So I must beg you, do not flame. I doubt my fragile self image could take the beating. Anyways, what could you possibly say that I don't know already? I'm well aware that the characters are terribly OCC. I know the situation is completely implausible and silly. You know how I know that? Because that's how I decided to write it. After a decade spent tearing my heart out with sad depressing short stories that involved way too much character death, I was tempted to make something...happy. So this my honest attempt at something light and fluffy. Consider it the cotton candy of crappy fanfiction.  
If you don't like it, please take your complaints to my muse. She's sitting over in that dark corner drinking peach schnapps and listening to Rob Dougan.  
Thanks and enjoy if you can.

**_Updated 9.10.04:_** I did a little editing work, added a few sentences to the ending as per request, and split the story into four parts for easier reading. Hope its okay.  
Thanks and enjoy if you can.

**Part 1: An obsession, a watcher, and a need for entertainment**

She waited until she was sure they were all safely in Dreamland before she crawled out of her sleeping bag. The book was waiting right where she had stashed it: beneath her pillow with the flashlight and extra batteries. She was taking no chances this time. Nothing would interrupt her reading.

Kagome told herself once more that it would be best if she would just crawl back into the bag and sleep. She would pay dearly tomorrow for the lack of rest, but that failed to matter when she looked at the book and the pages she had left to read. She was quickly overcome by its irresistible call.

'Maybe just a chapter...' she told herself, though even she knew she was blatantly lying. However, it was enough to bring her feet into her shoes as she gingerly walked out of the safety of their little camp towards the river. She stopped at the rim of the firelight, checking to make sure everyone, including the irate hanyou, was still safely unaware of her departure.

She walked silently in the dark for a ways before finally resorting to using her flashlight to find a suitable space to read. She sat on the hard ground, resting her back against a tree before positioning the flashlight on her shoulder and finally opening the book.

"Now where was I..." she whispered as she caught her place. "Ah yes! Henry's body had just been found..."

Soon the latest inhabitant of the dark forest was completely immersed in her new reality, not even stopping her reading when she rearranged herself. Her various exclamations during particularly interesting parts of the novel broke the silence of the forest. Kagome, as in every other aspect of her life, was a very active reader.

However, she began to find it increasingly difficult to completely engross herself in the story. Her steadfast loyalty to the novel dulled her senses tremendously, but even only half aware, she knew she was being watched. Interestingly, she sensed no ill intent and as long as that remained the case, she was not going to let her observer take her from her guilty pleasure. However, she could not resist informing her viewer of his or her obviously rude behavior.

"It's impolite to stare," she said quietly without removing her eyes from the book.

Her watcher merely smirked in amusement. Of course, he had been well aware of her proximity when he had taken this little detour to avoid Inuyasha's camp. Not that he was at all worried of starting yet another 'disagreement' with the hanyou; he simply did not feel inclined to spoil his evening with such.

However, he was also not so inclined to let an opportunity to sate his curiosity slip away. The girl had always been somewhat of a mystery to him and he was interested to find what she was doing so far from the safety of the others. He had never expected to find her lying on the ground in a very undignified position reading by the light of an odd looking torch. Her eyes had not once wavered from the book, even after sensing his presence. He doubted she was even aware of his identity. So amused was he by her attack on his manners that he almost failed to notice her mumbling.

"Henry was stabbed...but what about the gun...and what was Mrs. Jackson doing with the bag?" she said quietly while flipping back a few pages to reread a particularly important section of the murder mystery, completely forgetting her spectator in light of the latest clues. These offhand comments only further fueled her observer's curiosity.

"Damn..." she muttered, eyes still locked on the book. "They just have to bother me while I'm reading..."

For a sudden moment he didn't understand what she was talking about, until he sensed a rapidly approaching demon, heading straight for the preoccupied girl. Soon, it burst through the trees and stopped to examine its future meal. It became evident that the demon did not sense him, though the girl obviously had. Of course, he had taken great pains to hide every aspect of his presence: he was not fond of being interrupted in his pursuits. Still, the girl had known, so why hadn't the demon?

"The Jewel..." the demon hissed at the distracted girl who still had yet to look at it.

"Nope, sorry," she said, irritation obvious in her voice. "Would you take care of this, please?" she continued, seemingly to him. The observer was almost stunned. He had never revealed his presence, and he was sure the girl was still blissfully unaware of his identity. And yet here she was asking him to dispose of her enemy. And she still had yet to remove her eyes from the damned book. He was beginning to think her stupid.

As if sensing her watcher's lack of motive, she finally broke her eye contact with the novel to spare a quick glance at her attacker. However, as soon as she looked the demon over, she resumed her reading.

"Jewel shard in the right shoulder," she said simply while she searched for her place on the page. "It's the least you could do for your rudeness."

His smirk increased and almost resembled a twisted grin of sorts. Had anyone else been present to witness it, they would have run in fear of their lives. He would perform this service for her this once, though only so she could continue to entertain him. Lately, his life had been so dreadfully boring, and he was reluctant to let a source of amusement die.

Streaking by her body fast enough to blow the pages of her book, he quickly disposed of the demon. Snatching the jewel shard to prevent its regeneration and continued threat to his new pet project, he walked silently back to the girl who was still trying to find her lost page. She made a small triumphant sound as she regained her position in the novel, and he smirked once more.

She really was an astonishing creature.

"Thanks," she mumbled before once more becoming engrossed in the tale. He was confident that she had never once bothered to identify her savior. It took some amount of effort for him not to call attention to himself, just to witness the look in her eyes when she realized who he was. However, he convinced himself to wait. After all, he was greedy in regards to his amusements and extracting every bit of pleasure from this was something he looked forward to.

Dropping the shard, he took his leave quickly. Once the pages of her book stopped fluttering, she exasperatedly went about searching for her once more lost page. There, diligently holding her place was a sparkling jewel shard.

For a moment all she could do was stare at the offending sliver. Carefully, book temporarily forgotten, she picked up the shard, purifying it instantly with her touch, and peered into its pink depths. Finally becoming aware of her surroundings, she looked about, shock clearly written in her expressive face.

There were the remains of her demon attacker, now nothing more than dust and bones. There in front of her astonished body was the soft imprint of her savior's shoes.

Kagome was dumbfounded, but slowly it registered in her befuddled mind that her watcher was gone and she had already been attacked once this evening.

Gaining her feet, she retreated back to the relative safety of camp. She quietly crawled back into her sleeping bag, her mind still spinning. For a few minutes, all she could do was gaze at the book still in her hands. Finally, she marked her place and stashed the book once more under pillow, putting the jewel shard with its siblings in the jar hanging from her throat. Hands fisted in the material of the sleeping bag, she stared wide eyed at the starry sky, waiting for her heart to slow its rapid pace so she could rest.

'This book is gonna kill me,' was her last coherent thought before she slipped away to join the other in Dreamland. Much like the past few nights, Kagome dreamed of the story she was so enraptured with. However this time, a new character joined the show, watching her from the shadows of her unconsciousness, amusement playing in colorless eyes.

* * *

The next morning dawned much too quickly for the group of shard hunters. Kagome wearily wiped the remainder of sleep from her tired eyes and groggily pulled herself into a sitting position. All at once, the events of the night came back to her and instantly she was wide awake. A glance at the bottle of shards on her neck assured her that the incident was not a mere figment of her dreams.

Briefly, she considered telling the others what had occurred but decided it wasn't that important. If they realized that she was one shard richer, then she would disclose, but until then, they would remain blissfully unaware of her strange night. After all, they already had too much on their minds without having to worry about her sneaking off at night to read only to be attacked and rescued by an unnamed observer.

Without much fanfare, the group resumed their hunt, starting off in the direction Kagome had felt a shard the evening before. Of course, she was well aware of the possibility that said shard now lay in her possession, but since it would require explanation, she did not mention it. Instead, they walked and she could only hope a new shard would surface.

Of course, she felt incredibly guilty for lying to her friends. It simply was not in her nature to willingly lie to people she cared about. But it simply was not an option to let them know how incredibly careless she had been, and she wasn't even going to start on the mystery of her savior.

'It'll only cause trouble if I tell them,' she kept repeating to herself, hoping she might someday believe it. Still, she was steeped in guilt and it was only worsening as the day progressed and she studied her friends' trusting faces. Soon it became difficult to keep herself from blurting out her secret and so she took the easy way out: she began to place the blame elsewhere.

It was obviously all Eri's fault for introducing her to the book. But no, Eri had tried to warn her of the book's mysterious pull. Tried and failed. So the fault must lie firmly in the book itself. Kagome was well aware of the draw of a well written murder mystery, but this was ridiculous. This story was entirely too well written, too addicting. There simply was no putting the damn thing away. Yes, it was all the book's fault.

'Speaking of which, I wonder who killed Henry...'

* * *

The next three days were exhausting but routine for Kagome and the shard hunters. The only deviation was, of course, her late night reading escapes. Each night she grew increasingly desperate to continue the complicated story and each night she sacrificed more and more precious sleep to the undying cause of solving the damn written mystery. Progress was slow: she had to reread large sections of the book whenever a new clue presented itself. As well, there were usually distractions each night, drawing her undivided attention away from the book.

The largest of these distractions was her mysterious watcher. He never showed himself but she always knew he was there, silently memorizing her every exclamation, quietly studying her every move. She would briefly wonder who he was and curse herself for not looking at him the first night before she would once more become too caught up in the story to care.

However, despite his mysterious identity and hidden appearance, she felt safer in his presence, if only because of his actions from the first night. Never once did she feel threatened by the mystery man and perhaps this was the reason she began talking more to him than herself when she stopped in her reading to sort out the facts of the case.

"So...Henry was stabbed in a locked room with no evidence that anyone else was ever in the room. However, Mrs. Jackson was stopped on the Bulgarian border with his suitcase. Charles Franklin was discovered in Naples after being missing for 8 years, holding Henry's wallet. He was detained for questioning, only to be found an hour later strangled in yet another locked room...."

She was well aware that her observer probably had no idea what she was talking about, but it felt good to be able to talk to someone about the novel, even if it was a would-be ghost. Right before dawn each morning she would depart, bidding her observer good day before sneaking back to camp. By the third night, she was positive that he was waiting for her at the edge of the camp when she first snuck off, and followed her back each morning. Due to this and in large part to his protection the first night, she began referring to him as her Guardian Angel.

However safe she felt at night was immaterial to the growing sense of unease she felt during the day. She was moody, as anyone who hadn't been sleeping was bound to be. In addition, the story was devouring her every conscious thought and any poor soul who disturbed her continuous contemplation was soon subject to an angry tirade.

Of course, Inuyasha's violent mood swings weren't helping her own situation any. Here she was, exhausted and distracted, and the boy seemed to be itching for trouble. Finally, after one stupid comment too many, she could take no more.

"Inuyasha, what the HELL is your PROBLEM!??" she asked in utter frustration and irritation.

The rest of the group merely gaped at her. Since when did their pure, young Kagome resort to using such language? However, it did nothing to stop the fuming hanyou who had already been subject to more than his usual daily allowance of sit commands.

"MY problem? What is YOUR problem, Kagome?"

"What are you talking about?"

He huffed in annoyance. He had to put this delicately or else she would presume he actually cared about her well being. Such a ridiculous idea.

"For one thing, you look like crap! And for another, you've been attacking us for no reason for the last 3 days! What in seven hells is wrong with you?"

By this time he had stalked up to her, pointing an accusatory finger at her nose, hoping his scolding would prompt some answers as to her sluggish pace and the black circles forming beneath her eyes. His attention was soon sidetracked by the bottle chained around her neck. Usually it remained tucked into her shirt but her recent yelling had caused the bottle to reveal itself. There was something different about it that he couldn't quite identify. He pulled the bottle to his eyes for further inspection.

"What are you doing?!" Kagome squeaked. Glancing quickly up at her eyes once more, he almost missed the dart of fear that raced across her features. Almost. Taking that as his clue that he was close to something, he resumed his examination of the shard bottle. There was the shard from the snake youkai, that one from the bear youkai, the one Kaede had secured for them...

"Kagome..." he began unsurely. "Why is there an extra shard?"

That quickly got the full attention of the rest of the shard hunters. All eyes were on her and Kagome felt hard pressed to explain.

"What are you talking about..." she stuttered. She took a deep calming breathe before resuming. "There shouldn't be any extra shards..." It sounded hollow even to her. Chancing a glance at the others, she saw confusion and disbelief in their eyes. She was not going to get out of this one so easily.

"Don't pull this crap with me! We had only 3 shards. There are 4 in this bottle. Where did the shard come from, Kagome?" His voice was definitely accusatory now. Her guilt increased ten fold.

"I don't know!" she insisted.

"Kagome..."

"I DON'T KNOW!!" she screamed, tearing herself forcefully away. There was a pregnant pause as the red faded from her vision and soon she could see the horrified and worried faces of her friends.

'Shit...' she thought as she attempted to calm her racing heart. 'How do I explain this?'

Luckily, she was spared, for the moment at least. Inuyasha tensed and his hand automatically went to Tessaiga's hilt.

"What is it?" she asked warily. He turned hardened eyes onto her and she couldn't help but shiver.

"We're being watched." At this declaration, she put aside her present concerns and expanded her senses outward. Feeling the familiar aura of her night observer, she sighed thoughtfully.

"Oh." Of course, this obviously wrong response set the hanyou off once more.

"What the hell do you mean 'oh'?" he began and soon he was in an all out rant concerning her inabilities to save herself, etc. Finally growing weary of the bashing and wishing nothing more for night to come so she could excuse herself from her tyrant's presence, she did the only thing she could.

"Inuyasha," she began dejectedly. "Osuwari."

She received no thrill from the image of him cratered into the hard earth. However, she could almost swear that she could feel the amusement of the unknown watcher.

'Oh well,' she thought with a sigh. 'At least this time he's laughing with me...'

Leaving Inuyasha behind until the spell wore off, she continued on her trek and the others soon followed suit. Luckily, they seemed to realize no answers were going to be forthcoming from the young miko and neglected to question her. For that she was eternally grateful.

"Kagome?" asked the fox child as he jumped to her shoulder. "Why aren't you worried about the watcher?"

"Because Shippou," she began, deciding honesty was important in this matter. "I don't feel anything bad from him. He seems not to wish us any harm. As long as that remains the case, I'm not going to bother worrying about it."

"Okay."

She smiled thoughtfully as she glanced at the slowly sinking sun. Soon they would stop for the night and set up camp. Soon she would return to the book.

'Speaking of which,' she wondered, returning her focus to the problem at hand. 'I wonder who killed Charles Franklin...'

* * *

The next few hours were hell for Kagome. It seemed dinner had never lasted longer, nor did it ever take as long for everyone to drift into slumber. She swore she could feel the impatience of the ever present watcher. Finally, after an eternity of waiting, she slipped from the confines of her sleeping bag and once again left the safety of the camp to answer an irresistible call.

Settling down for a long night of reading, she paused long enough to address the watcher in the woods.

"I'm getting entirely too comfortable in your presence," she said truthfully. She sighed in frustration. Already, the amusement of the man in the shadows was obvious. "What is it about me that you find so funny?" Of course, no answer was forthcoming.

With another sigh, she returned her attention to the novel and soon became so engrossed that she failed to notice a new presence in the forest.

'Or perhaps she is over confident of her unknown protector?' the first watcher mused thoughtfully as he stalked the intruder. The new observer remained blissfully unaware that he too was being observed and proceeded to curse under his breath when he saw what his jewel detector was currently engaged in.

"Stupid girl," Inuyasha muttered as he returned to camp. He had no intention of dealing with the situation tonight. Might as well wait til morning when the others could back him up. "She's gonna get herself killed..."

'Perhaps,' the unknown spectator thought with a wry grin. 'But not until she's served her purpose as my jester.'

He returned to find the girl still entirely lost in the novel. After hearing her exclamation concerning her trust in him, he pondered whether now was the best time to reveal his identity to the strange girl.

'No....not yet,' he persuaded himself. There was still so much more entertainment to be had from the girl while she remained unaware of his name. After all, since witnessing the argument she had participated in earlier concerning the extra jewel shard in her possession, he became aware that her late night escapes could serve as an excellent means of bothering the hanyou and toying with the group.

He was disrupted from his musing when his 'pet' huffed in annoyance as she read a particularly troublesome part of the story out loud.

How could the girl be so addicted to the silly book? Of course, even he was interested, just from the material she related to him, though he did not understand a lot of the information. It seemed all the reports concerning her origins were accurate. She indeed was a stranger to this land. He decided more information was needed. Scoping out the area, he figured it would be safe to leave her alone. After all, dawn was not too far away and the hanyou was aware of her location, should anything happen.

'But just in case...' he thought while pulling out a bracelet that had been tucked into his sleeve. Whirling by her huddled form, he dropped the beads into the pages of the book as he departed, no doubt leaving a befuddled girl behind to question his sanity and name.

For a brief moment he questioned his own mental health but set aside the matter as being ridiculous. He was simply protecting an asset. His new toy would be useless if broken.

Kagome tried to remain calm when she sensed her watcher suddenly leaving. She felt a curious weight added to the book in her hands and once more was shocked to find that her mystery man had left a present for her. Gingerly picking up the small string of beads, she wondered as to their purpose as she could clearly feel a strong magic radiating from the simple bracelet. She paused slightly before slipping the beads onto her wrist, remembering that she had never once felt anything bothersome from the watcher. It could very well be a trap, this she knew. But that didn't stop her from trusting the intentions of her guardian. It was the least she could do after he saved her life and then proceeded to keep her company.

Suddenly, she became well aware of how alone she was. It had been so long since she had been without his comforting presence that she had forgotten how terrifying being alone in the woods could be. Quickly, deciding to delay the book, a decision that proved very difficult to make, she returned warily back to camp. Right before she slipped into peaceful sleep she noticed a pair of gold eyes staring relentlessly at her.

"We need to talk," the hanyou said with quiet force.

'Crap,' she thought before unconsciousness claimed her.

* * *

Kagome woke to the feeling of sunlight on her tired face.

'Strange,' she thought as she opened her eyes and took in the sun's high position in the sky. 'Why haven't we left yet?'

"Kagome?" a smooth voice called from her side. Turning on her side, she could see her friends sitting on the other side of the small campfire, intently watching her.

"Yeah?" she asked, beginning to grow worried.

"Are you ready to tell us about the shard?" Miroku asked seriously. The monk always seemed capable of asking without accusing, unlike the hanyou. She closed her eyes wearily.

"Inuyasha found you in the forest last night," the monk continued. Her surprised gasp only seemed to prove her guilt. She glanced at her dog-eared friend only to find him avoiding her penetrating gaze.

"Please tell us what is going on, Kagome?" Sango pleaded. Kagome could only sigh in defeat. There was no way she could deny that tone. They deserved to know the truth of her predicament.

"Well," she began while rolling to her back so she could avoid the questioning eyes of her comrades. "It's just a completely innocent little addiction I have..."

She related the tale without pause, leaving out a majority of the details about her unknown protector simply because she knew she would be unable to satisfactorily answer their questions. However, they beat her to the punch.

"So, you don't know who killed the youkai that first night?" questioned Sango.

"Nope. I never saw him. But I do know that he wears actual shoes. And he's fast. Really fast."

"Interesting," mused the monk. "And he gave you the jewel shard...has he done anything else since?"

"Well..." Kagome said, secretly loathing that she had to reveal this much of her recent encounter. "He usually remains in the shadows the entire time, just watching. But..." she hesitated, fingering the beads on her wrist absently.

"Yes?" pushed Miroku.

"Last night he did give me these," she stated quietly, lifting her wrist to the inspection of the small group. Sango seemed just as baffled as she had been. Inuyasha quickly glanced at the gift before resuming his assessment of the sky. Shippou smiled mischievously while Miroku further examined the bracelet with a studious expression.

"I think he likes you, Kagome," Shippou said as he winked. Inuyasha huffed in annoyance. Kagome merely shook her head in disagreement.

"I don't think so. The only thing I ever sense from him is amusement. I swear, it sometimes makes me feel like a toy."

"Well at least we can be sure that whoever he is, he has no intention of harming you," the monk said quietly while retreating back to his spot beside the still stunned Sango.

"What do you mean?" everyone questioned.

"The bracelet is enchanted to protect its wearer," he said simply.

"How so?" Kagome asked, suddenly even more interested in the gift her watcher had bestowed upon her.

"I'm not sure what the particular effects of this enchantment are. But I am certain that the watcher has some control over the spell. If anything happens to you, he will know immediately and can activate the charm."

Kagome's eyes glazed over as she assimilated this new information into her tired brain. Unfortunately, it only seemed to get muddled into the clues of the damn novel. The two mysteries were quickly becoming one.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice brought her back to reality.

"Hmm?"

"Where is he now?"

"Umm..." she started as she began letting her senses scope out the area. She quickly pinpointed her Angel's location but it was easy to feel that he wished her to remain silent on the matter. Not wanting to disappoint him, she did just that.

"I can't tell..." She could almost feel the watcher smirk. "I just can't tell," she said resolutely, daring Inuyasha to doubt her. He merely looked away.

* * *


	2. Part 2

**A Completely Innocent Addiction  
**_Just A Starving Writer_

**_Disclaimer:_** nope, not mine.

**Part 2: An altercation, an incident, and a new alliance**

The day was long and uneventful, devoted to the well being of the shard hunters. Most took it as an opportunity to sharpen weapons or catch up on sleep. Kagome use the break to read. Before she knew it, evening had settled upon the land once more. Still, she was no where near solving either the mystery of Henry's murder, or her own stalker. She allowed Sango to drag her off for a bath before the light was gone, but otherwise remained glued to the spot, taking in every detail of the book she was addicted to. Disappointment poured from her though as there was no quiet watcher to talk to. Finally she could take it no more. Tucking the novel and a flashlight into her waistband, she took her leave of the group, returning to the nearby spring and settling into another night of mystery.

However, there seemed to be no sinking into the story tonight. The air around her was charged. Her watcher was anxious. But why?

All at once, the entire world sprang to life. An unexpectedly strong gust of wind swept by with enough force to blow Kagome into the water. Sputtering and shivering, she emerged from the chilled pool to find that her book had thankfully survived the assault.

Unfortunately, it was now sprawled some distance from her at the feet of the most unlikely of people.

She should have been terrified, or at the very least frightened. She was neither. Instead all she saw was that her reading had once again been disturbed, at the most inopportune of moments, and now the novel was not in her grasp. Her eyes clouded over with all the anger she had suppressed from the day before. She glared threateningly at her enemy as he switched his gaze from the book at his feet to herself.

"Give. Me. The book." The voice and energy sounded strange coming as it did from a girl resembling a drowned cat.

He merely smirked wickedly. Yes, this would work out just fine. It was time to see just how desperate for the book the girl had become.

"You want...this," he stated solemnly while picking up the not-so-discarded novel.

"GIVE IT BACK!" she shouted, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. He took in every aspect of her appearance, from her soaking attire, dripping hair still plastered to her face, and over bright eyes, to her lips set in a grim line, her small fisted hands, and her tense stature. To someone as experienced as he was in battle, it was achingly obvious that she was prepared for a fight. This interested him to no end. He was curious just what the little spitfire was capable of.

"Then come and take it." He held the book out for her, regarding her with cool disinterest, but was inwardly hoping she would take his bait. She seemed to be suspicious, but one shake of the novel proved too much for her and she quickly removed herself from the water and walked, in soggy shoes no less, the few steps to her opponent. Kagome tried to grab the book, only to have it swiftly pulled from her reach. Looking into his usually cold face, she swore she saw a spark of amusement in his eyes.

It was that flash of emotion that broke all her remaining barriers that had held her anger in check. As if it was not enough that she had to have her reading interrupted continually all damn day, now here was this pompous ass of a demon practically laughing at her. Her comrades, especially the hanyou, would be forced to agree that the girl did have a temper, but even they would not have been prepared for the onslaught of anger that was now practically radiating from her overly tense form.

He mused that he was supposed to be frightened by the show of power that was enveloping her, but he found himself only increasingly amused.

'Does she even realize who she is speaking to?' he questioned himself thoughtfully.

However further debate was postponed as the soggy miko suddenly jumped, amazingly reaching his raised arm and there remaining, hanging precariously from his forearm. Moving quickly, her hand reached for the book, but not before her opponent shook his arm violently enough to send her falling to the ground. In an instant, she had regained her feet, and with eyes glazed by anger and addiction, she jumped the book thief. He, of course, had figured her first attack would be her last, especially considering the unnatural way she had landed on her left foot, something that almost made him cringe. Therefore he was taken by surprise when the astonishingly resilient girl threw her body onto him. He landed on his back with a dull thud and was instantly aware of the girl straddling him while she reached for the book that was still held over his head.

Immediately hating the position she had put him in, he flipped her quickly over and gained his feet. It was becoming obvious that the girl was a spirited fighter and could be quite skilled...if she wasn't so distracted by the novel.

Kagome took no time to catch her breath and went to rise but found an irresistible pressure on her stomach forcing her down. Her tormentor was standing over her, left foot firmly planted beneath her ribs, thereby restricting her movement. Eyes still glazed by hatred and want, she watched as he lowered the book to his eyes reading snippets of random pages and then closing the novel to examine the cover.

"Give it back!" she muttered angrily as she tried to remove the offending foot. He ignored her plight, though he did spare her a glance when a sound curiously like a growl erupted from her slender throat. His previous question concerning her sanity was answered with that quick look. Her distant eyes, focused solely on the book, proved that she still had no idea who she was so Hell bent on attacking.

'What an interesting little creature you are,' he thought as he attempted to keep his face from belying his extreme amusement. The little miko was making such a splendid jester.

However, a quickly approaching sensation and familiar smell threatened his fun. He would have to end this session quickly before anyone caught on to his newest hobby.

Reluctantly tossing the book aside, and watching as the girl followed its progress into the bushes as a puppy would a stick, he prepared himself for a show as the half breed came into view brandishing his sword as always.

"Hello brother," he said nonchalantly, while allowing his claw to fill with poison, trying to ignore the girl under his foot who was busy struggling, not so much to escape him as to retrieve the novel. It was truly quite humorous, though of course Inuyasha would fail to see it.

"Kagome..." the hanyou whispered, clearly frightened over his companion's present situation. The remainder of the group rushed to his side, all preparing for a battle that he was hesitant to start. There was a chance his toy could be harmed and that would just not do, not after all the energy he had expended for her protection. Of course, they didn't need to know that.

The small group stank of confusion and fear, so unlike his pet miko, though he was well aware they would not let anything hold them back from defending the girl.

Overall, the tension they were filling the air with was bothersome. He would surrender this useless fight just this once for her. He lifted his foot slowly and surely, fighting, and not completely beating, the pleased smirk that threatened his expression when the girl rolled away from him and jumped into the bushes to retrieve the novel instead of joining her friends.

"Tend your wench," he said coldly. "Next time she attacks me, she dies." That being said, he turned and walked away. It should have been quite the grand exit and would have been had said wench not chosen that instant to extract herself from the bushes, book tightly clasped to her chest.

"Never touch my book again, you pompous ass!" she yelled furiously as she glared menacingly at his retreating figure. His footsteps paused as her friends stared at her in open disbelief. For a moment he considered killing her for her insolence but decided this defiance was part of what made the spirited little miko entertaining. He settled for glaring at her coldly before he resumed his walking.

He continued until he was quite sure he was far beyond the range of all the senses of the small group, including the girl, before thoroughly masking his presence and returning to watch the reactions of the shard hunters. It was bound to be worth his time. Sure enough, they were all still there, right where he had left them, still staring with slack jaws at the soggy miko. Finally, much to be expected, the silence was broken by his half brother.

"What the FUCK is WRONG WITH YOU!" The volume made his ears tingle and broke the daze of everyone in the group. Suddenly, they all seemed to have questions.

"Are you hurt, Kagome?" the young fox asked with tears in his eyes.

"What happened?" the demon slayer inquired.

"Did he say you attacked him?" the monk pondered, curiosity fighting the wonder and shock in his eyes.

Kagome simply whimpered. The spell of the book had finally broken and she did not seem to be aware of where she was. Looking meekly at the faces of her comrades, she appeared to need answers as much as they did. Still completely shell shocked, she started to walk in the direction of the campfire when she promptly fell to the ground with a squeal of pain. Now that the book had released her, she could feel the ache of her hurt ankle and he once again felt the urge to cringe. He tried to dismiss the feeling, but he actually was a tad bit remorseful for injuring his toy. It was silly really, the extents he would go to for a touch of amusement.

The instant she hit the ground, the girl's companions rushed to her side, clearly afraid that she was in jeopardy. She grumbled as she sat up and tenderly examined the swollen ankle, grateful when the monk retrieved the odd torch so she could see the extent of the damage.

"Hmph," she sighed exasperatedly.

Distress quickly faded from the face of the hanyou and was replaced by an odd combination of anger and worry. Clearly the girl meant a lot to him.

The group quickly decided answers were best achieved at the comfort of the camp and helped the girl to her foot. Before she could begin the stumbling journey on her own, the half breed picked her up to her surprise.

"Warn me when you do that!" was her quick outburst as she adjusted herself into his arms, ensuring the safety of her ankle.

"Warn me next time you decide to run off and pick a fight with Sesshoumaru!" was the retaliation. Said victim smirked in the confines of the shadows.

"I did not!"

"Could we please continue this discussion in front of a warm fire once Kagome's leg has been tended?" came the monk's wise interception. Their observer nodded in agreement and stowed away in his mind a promise to be less harsh on the monk if he ever came across him in battle.

The group sulked but walked back to the campsite, the hanyou settling his burden on a log and tenderly propping her foot up on a rock before allowing the monk and exterminator to tend it. Sitting on the ground across from her, he stared unnervingly at the poor girl the entire time her injury was being wrapped. All the would-be ghost could focus on was the strained face of the miko. Every cringe seemed to affect him before he relentlessly squashed the guilt that tried to surface. Luckily, she was soon situated and as comfortable as possible and awaiting the questions of her interrogators.

"Please, Kagome. Tell us what happened." The monk really did seem to have a talent for dealing well with awkward situations.

"Well..." the girl began tiredly. She told her tale with enough detail to satisfy the crowd and entertain the watcher. By the time she had reached the end, daylight was beginning to seep into the sky. The hanyou had yet to say anything.

"Curious," the monk stated while leaning back against a tree and tapping his chin. "Your protector left. Of course, anyone would be frightened of Sesshoumaru." He quickly glanced at the dejected girl. "But still, he could have at least used the bracelet to do something."

Everyone looked up at that statement. It seemed it hadn't occurred to anyone else. More than anything, the miko looked devastated. He simply couldn't dismiss how hard it was to keep his eyes trained on her. Her uncanny faith in her unknown protector's abilities and intentions had very obviously been shattered. The monk seemed to sense her distress and calmly helped her into her odd blanket. A few comforting words later and the girl seemed to simply collapse from exhaustion and emotional strain. Departing from the girl's side, the monk took a seat next to the demon slayer.

"Will Kagome be alright?" the woman asked, clearly unable to keep the worry out of her voice. "She's always been so strong, but this...this is bothering her greatly."

"Yes, I believe her obsession with the book is getting quite hazardous. It may be in her best interest to keep the object from her, at least until she is more stable."

"I'll let you do that, Miroku," the half breed said, finally breaking his silence. "No way in hell am I getting sat for this anymore." With a huff of annoyance, he jumped into the tree overlooking the unconscious girl signaling that his involvement in the conversation had ended.

The camp became silent once more and the watcher began to leave when he was stopped in his tracks by the monk's next words.

"It's strange though that the only damage to Kagome was unintentional, despite the lack of protection. Almost as if Sesshoumaru...I don't know. It just doesn't seem right."

"How..?" the demon slayer began confused.

"I don't know. But from what I saw and what Kagome said, it almost seems as if he was playing with her." He paused, half for effect and half to get his thoughts in order. "Does offering her the book then pulling it from her grasp seem like something the All Mighty Lord Sesshoumaru would do?"

The demon slayer shook her head warily.

"I think," the monk said while adjusting himself back onto a tree trunk. "I think there is more to this situation than any of us realize."

Silence once more. The monk seemed to drift into sleep and the slayer followed soon afterwards. A hidden demon lord walked soundlessly away from the resting group, a slight frown on a calm face belying his consternation.

* * *

Kagome slept through most of the day, guarded alternately by the other hunters. Their worry only increased as the day progressed and the girl showed no signs of waking. Deciding that action was necessary to save the miko from further damage, the monk and slayer conspired to confiscate the offending novel. Once the book was tucked out of sight, the mood of the camp seemed to lighten until finally, when the sky was approaching dusk, the girl came back to the world of the wake.

"Kagome!" the fox child yelled joyously while jumping into said party's lap. "We were so worried about you!"

"Oh, Shippou, I didn't mean to worry you," the girl stated lovingly while hugging the child tightly.

"Good evening, Kagome," the monk said calmly.

"Good evening, Miroku. I'm starving! How about some ramen?"

Of course, everyone instantly agreed that the noodles were the perfect dinner. Soon, the sounds of contentment could be heard as everyone enjoyed the evening meal and went about preparing for the following day. Once all the dishes had been cleansed and packed away, the recently pleasant miko found herself getting antsy as she had nothing left to do. After performing at least a dozen odd jobs, she finally gave in to the relentless urge and went to retrieve the novel. The novel, however, was not to be found.

All the preparations that had been carefully made for the continuation of their journey in the morning were laid to waste as the increasingly anxious woman-child searched for the book. Bags were emptied and bedding was strewn about as the search continued recklessly. The others watched with increasing alarm. The recently arrived observer watched with amusement. Finally the girl turned to her companions, beseeching them for answers.

"Where is it? Where is the novel?" she asked with overly bright blue eyes darting to and fro.

"Perhaps it is best if you resist the book tonight, Kagome," the monk stated knowledgeably. The girl immediately turned her pointed gaze to him, anger and desperate need growing in her eyes.

"Give me the book."

"I think not."

"Now."

"Now, Kagome..." his sentence was cut off when the girl jumped him, pushing him to the ground with her small hands clasped tightly on his throat. This sudden move shocked everyone, including the smirking spectator.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" she screeched as the hanyou tried without success to remove her from the monk.

She seemed to have gained inhuman strength in her desperation. It would have been quite humorous had the monk's life not been in jeopardy. Finally the situation was resolved when the fumbling monk pulled the novel from his robe and the crazed girl removed her hands from his neck to grab the book and allowed herself to be heaved off of her victim.

The exterminator saw to the monk while Inuyasha turned the offending girl around in his arms until he was looking into her distant face. It was obvious she was still in her own little world. Being a person prone to violence before thought, he did the only thing he could think of: he slapped the poor girl. Not harshly by any means, but enough to jar her back to her senses. The would-be ghost couldn't stop the growl coming from his throat and immediately the bracelet around the miko's wrist glowed, creating a barrier around her, and pushing the slapper away. But the damage was done. She had come back to reality and lifted one hand to tenderly touch the stinging cheek. Her troubled eyes fell on the hanyou before finding the still gasping monk. Tears immediately began to fall when she realized what had happened. With a small gasp, she took off as fast as her still aching ankle would allow. The shocked hunters let her go.

The watcher found her curled in a ball at the clearing that had served their last encounter. The bubbling water of the spring was amplified by her streaming tears and quiet sobs. The heartbreak was evident, even for one such as him. After a time, the girl lifted the offending novel to her eyes and stared at it in a mix of disdain and want.

"Stupid book...why do you have to be so good?" the miko said miserably. The observer smirked in amusement. The girl tensed.

"Would you stop laughing at me!" she sobbed furiously into the failing light of the forest. The smirk faded. Such a strange creature she was. Such passion, such power. The watcher averted his gaze from the girl who had resumed sobbing. It was time to go. His toy appeared to be broken. Stepping away from the clearing, he turned his back on the girl. She looked up, seemingly aware that he was leaving.

"I appreciate your protection. I really do. And there are times when you are not so bad and I enjoy your company." She paused to breath. He released one of his own. "But please remember that you are a stranger to me." She gulped. There seemed to be so much more that was left unspoken.

The watcher tried to leave but found it near impossible. His toy was distraught and close to a breakdown. He could not help but feel responsible after the stunt he had pulled. Never before had he been this childish...never before had he been able to. It was liberating really, but he was not foolish enough to dismiss the control he was allowing her to have over him. Thankfully she did not realize his identity as that would have made the situation unforgivably awkward. She had no idea the depths he was going to just to enjoy her company.

The girl had since passed out again. Strange how easy that was to her. He couldn't help but envy the ability. She would no doubt be safe there until she woke or was found by her comrades. His true presence still lingered on the spot from the night before and no demon would dare trespass.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. Before he was quite aware of what he was doing, he was stepping out of the safety of the trees and into the clearing, watching her sleeping form for any show that she was waking. Once he was certain she was deeply lost in slumber, he was beside her, eyeing her carefully for injuries. His gaze fell to the left ankle. In her hurry to escape the scrutiny and shock of her companions, the bindings had become loose. Kneeling at her feet, he carefully removed her shoe and unwound the fabric, ever watchful for her return to consciousness. He wrapped the ankle securely, ensuring that she would be as comfortable as possible, before reattaching the shoe.

He remained at her side though, thoughtfully contemplating the girl. He felt the material of the odd clothing she wore and was surprised to find it smooth, thick, and strangely confining, very much different than anything he had ever felt before. While the strangeness seemed to fit the girl, he couldn't help but think it wrong that such a seemingly delicate creature would wear such obviously rough fabric. Moving to her head, he soon found his fingers gripping a lock of her hair. This was much more proper for a being such as her.

Further examination was cut short. The hunters were making their way toward her location and he could not be seen. With one parting touch to her cheek, he took his leave.

* * *

Sitting at his desk, attempting to finish up paperwork, there was no way to dismiss the extreme boredom that was threatening his concentration. Ever since his short vacation watching the strange girl two weeks before, he had been unable to find anything that would entertain him for more than a few minutes. Nothing topped what the girl could offer.

His retainer, his previous source of amusement, had ceased to please him. No amount of kicks could bring the pleased smirk to his face anymore. No amount of flowers his young ward decorated the poor toad with could make him ache for more. Instead, he ached for the little pet miko who had so pleased him for days on end. Really, she was such a splendid creature to have that ability to keep him of all people occupied for so long.

He stopped his mulling over the papers when a sudden thought occurred to him. What had started as a way to sate his curiosity had turned into an odd addiction. It was no where near as far progressed as that which held the miko to the novel, but an obsession none the less.

'Speaking of which, did she ever solved the mystery of Henry's murder...'

Miles away, under a cloudy sky, Kagome sat under a tree, forgoing lunch so she could continue reading the novel. She was so close to the end now. Just a few more pages and she would know exactly what had happened to poor Henry. She was pretty sure she had solved the mystery surrounding the murder of Charles Franklin, and later, Mrs. Jackson. But with Henry, she was still as lost as at the beginning.

'So...very...close...'

Every night she had waited patiently for her watcher to return but never once in the last two weeks had she felt his calming presence. After the first few nights she became worried that something dreadful had happened to him. This was impossible though as the bracelet still acted to protect her in the few battles they had been involved in during his absence.

Try as she might, she could not lie to herself. She missed the strange observer. No matter that he seemed to be laughing at her expense. It was comforting to have someone looking after her and listening to her rambling on about the story. Now that he had left, a dull ache began to form and the book, though just as addictive, somehow didn't seem to be as fulfilling as before. She could still remember the last night of his presence when she had passed out. She swore she had felt tender touches and upon awakening, she had discovered that her ankle had been rewrapped perfectly. Such an odd thing for a stranger to do, but it made her impression of him jump a few notches.

'I miss the ass,' she thought with a sigh.

Suddenly a familiar prickle in her mind caused her some alarm as she took her mind from the book to confirm.

"Inuyasha, a jewel shard is approaching fast from the north. Seems to be coming straight for us." That information having been relayed, she returned her attention to the novel. No way was she going to let a silly demon interrupt her reading when she was this close to solving the mystery. Luckily, her friends were well versed in this routine and she was rarely needed for fighting.

After a few minutes the demon crashed through the trees and she spared it a glance to pinpoint the jewel shard's location.

"It's in the left foot," she yelled nonchalantly as she returned her attention to the book. So very close...

Unfortunately, she was so involved in the mystery that she failed to notice the battle had turned out to be slightly more difficult than anyone had expected. The demon slayer had already been put out of commission and the monk was standing guard over her, leaving only the hanyou to defeat it. As it was, he seemed to be having a hard time of it, being unable to get a good shot at the beast. Without warning, he was tossed aside and the demon rushed at the unaware girl. One minute she was discovering the latest twist in the mystery and the next she was laying in the middle of the clearing, the book at least a good fifty feet from her. Angered and desperate for resolution, her vision tunneled until only the novel could be seen as she crawled her way back to her obsession, completely ignoring the dozens of small pains that shot through her body.

She was so close now. Just a few more feet and the book, and the answers to so many questions, would be hers once more. 'Almost there,' she thought as she reached out one hand to grab the book.

She never made it. Immediate darkness took over. The forgotten demon had been in the process of stepping on her when Inuyasha had finally taken the killing stroke. However, the damage was done. Back broken, Kagome had been killed instantly. Her crumbled body lying outstretched, book mere inches from her reaching fingers, it was obvious to all that she would not be getting up. A deathly stillness filled the clearing as the shard hunters collectively held their breath.

Back at his desk, the former watcher suddenly tensed. A nagging tick formed in the back of his mind. In an instant he realized that something must have happened to his favorite toy. Without a thought, he was on his way to where he felt the girl must be. He knew it was silly and without a doubt the most unlordly thing he had ever done, but one must protect his hobbies. It simply would not do for someone placed under his protection, even unknowingly, to be harmed. It reflected poorly on him.

At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Easily finding the source of his unease, he stayed back to observe and process the scene. There in the center was the girl, very obviously dead. There by her outstretched hand was the book, very obviously the indirect cause of her death. The hanyou was not ten feet from her, fallen to his knees mumbling "she's dead" while he stared at her still body. The remainder of the group was in a similar state, with the exception of a weeping fox child held in the tense arms of the demon slayer.

An odd sensation alerted him to one of the swords at his hip. Sure enough, the damned worthless Tenseiga was calling for action. He smirked. There was no way he could dismiss his pleasure that his toy could be saved, even though he was unsure why the sword had chosen her.

Still, the time for thought was not now. Walking into the clearing, he ignored the sudden gasps of the hunters, choosing instead to walk up to the girl's still body. Glancing down, he assessed the damage while unsheathing the strangely powerful sword. He blocked out the cries of the miko's comrades as he took two graceful swings over the body. Returning the sword to its rightful place, he kneeled down to ensure the girl's survival.

Sure enough, her breath was returning. Her hand twitched and after a few failed attempts, finally gripped the novel. Curling into herself, she pulled the novel to her still half closed eyes and unerringly found her page once more.

Damn it if he couldn't keep the pleased smirk from coming once more to his face.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he could not resist its temptation. Hauling the still dazed, and reading, girl carefully to his shoulder, he stood and began walking away from the stunned hunters.

Of course, his half-brother was the first to react.

"Hey! Put her down!"

"I have business with the miko. She will not be harmed," he said nonchalantly, not even bothering to turn to face the half breed.

"But!"

"I told you to tend to the wench. You failed." He continued walking. "The bracelet could only do so much. It is obvious she is not safe with you. Would you rather me keep her?"

The hanyou went to retaliate before the enormity of the situation sank in. He stopped in his tracks, staring dumbfounded at the girl who remained oblivious to her predicament.

"The girl will be returned." That being said, the lord disappeared into the forest leaving a stunned group in the clearing.

After a few moments, the tension was broken by a sob from the fox child.

"Kagome!" he whimpered.

"Should we go after her?" the demon slayer questioned anxiously.

"Of course stupid!" the hanyou retorted.

"Not so hasty, Inuyasha. Lord Sesshoumaru promised her return and we have no reason to doubt his word," the monk countered.

"But.."

"No buts. We simply have to trust Kagome on this one. If Sesshoumaru truly was her watcher, which it appears he was, then we have to believe he has some vested interest in her. She will not be harmed while she is useful to him. I trust he will return her uninjured. He did return her to life, after all."

A heavy pause filled the air as everyone took in his wise words.

"This has got to be the weirdest thing to ever happen to us," the fox child stated solemnly.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

A bit removed from the remaining shard hunters, the demon lord carried his prize towards his residence. Taking a guarded glance back, he saw that she was quickly approaching the end of the book. Only a few pages remained. He could only hope that she was kept occupied until they reached their destination.

A few moments later, his prayers were left unanswered. Closing the novel with a content sigh, the girl relaxed before taking into account her position and companion. Tensing, she began to struggle quite ineffectively.

"Stop that. I have no intentions of harming you."

"Yeah right!" she shrieked nervously. "Put me down!"

"No. You are coming with me."

"WHAT?!" she yelled, making him wince in annoyance and leaving him questioning her true worth for his cause.

"If you serve your purpose, you will be returned unharmed."

"WHAT PURPOSE??"

He smirked. "Entertainment."

Her face faulted in a mix of shock, dismay, and disbelief. He could sense her preparing for a fight so he searched for a way to disarm the conflict before it began. There was no need anyway as she was coming with him one way or another.

"I have a library." Such a simple sentence and anyone else would have scoffed and demanded release. However, the story obsessed miko seemed to relax at this random declaration. Her eyes instantly softened as she stared openly at her captor. There was no need to divulge his alternate identity. She seemed to know now.

Deciding the time to test her use was now, he carefully set the girl to her feet before resuming walking. He smirked in delight when he heard her light footsteps catching up to him.

"Do you have mysteries?"

"Whatever you want."

She skipped in elation. Such a strange and interesting creature she was.

They walked in relative silence for some ways, the demon lord quiet as usual but oddly content, the girl very obviously happy. However, there was one thing that needed to be answered before the suspense killed him. At least the question would be welcome to the miko.

"Who killed Henry?" he asked indifferently, his tone in no way belying his true interest in the subject.

"Oh! Henry was never really dead!" she said excitedly. "He faked his own death so he could kill Mrs. Jackson and Charles Franklin without being discovered."

"Interesting."

"You have no idea."

'Yes,' the demon lord thought as a pleased smirk found its way onto his features. 'This arrangement will work out perfectly.'

They walked on comfortably into a darkening forest, both content with their own thoughts and each other's reassuring presence.

* * *


	3. Part 3

**A Completely Innocent Addiction  
**_Just A Starving Writer_

_**Disclaimer:**_ nope, not mine.

**Part 3: An agreement, a purpose, and a new addiction**

The agreement was indeed very agreeable to both parties. Kagome was given free reign of the palace, including the extensive library. She was even free to leave when she so desired as long as she could argue her case and provided adequate notice. In exchange, she allowed the demon lord to watch over her, trying to ignore his amusement whenever she did something of particular interest to him. She knew she could never understand what he found so entertaining about her and her actions. Still, he refrained from killing her and his library more than made up for his lack of personality.

In addition, his young ward, Rin, was simply outstanding. Her unshakable faith in her lord was painfully obvious though said lord seemed to all but ignore her presence. Such a strange relationship indeed, but Kagome could say nothing considering her own arrangement. When the miko was not reading some epic or another curled on a pillow in the corner of the library, she was enjoying time with the child, playing an assortment of games. After the evening meal, the child would snuggle into her futon and listen avidly as the miko read a particularly interesting tale to her. It was during these times that she often found the quiet lord regarding her from the entrance to the room, listening with an ironic combination of emotions displayed on his countenance: a disinterested and detached face with eyes showing poorly veiled amusement.

It became obvious to Kagome that her purpose was jester to the strange demon lord. Though she had rarely the opportunity to observe him outside of battle, it seemed his behavior regarding her was oddly out of character. Inquiries amongst the servants and occasional guests at the palace served to inform her that his reactions were a peculiarity. However, all agreed that the he was generally more pleasant while she remained and the change was very welcome and so she tried to let the increasing feeling that she was but a toy not interfere. It would do no good to anyone should she fail her purpose and she worried over the safety of the servants when she left when duty, home, or friends called.

He rarely spoke to her or anyone for that matter. His orders were always short and blunt, delivered in the unfailingly calm and collected voice she could never grow accustomed to.

"Wench, tell me what you read," was his usual command when she was in the library. She would be curled in her usual corner with him sitting at his usual table, attending to business as usual. He never ceased his progress with his paperwork and never looked away from the countless scrolls while she related what epic tale she was reading that day.

It was at these times that she almost felt like her old watcher had returned. Almost, but not quite. She felt she would never grow habituated to the fact that her guardian had been this unlikely demon. It was indeed the last thing she would ever expect and went against all of her views of him.

'How strange my life has become,' she thought more than once. 'Sickly delinquent student at home, shard detecting toy in the Feudal Era. What fun.'

Grumble as she might about the odd situation she found herself in, it was inarguable that she appreciated the opportunities the cold lord provided for her. His protection through the bracelet was priceless, the time spent with his ward was a much needed break from the dangers she faced while hunting, and the quiet time in the library was a nice reprieve from the days she would spend walking and fighting in her quest.

Still, the annoyance tugging at her heart simply would not be ignored. Her increasing hostility at being a jester for one such as her friend's cold hearted half-brother was hard to hide. Despite the moments when he was almost pleasant, generally he was nothing but condescending and seemed to take amusement in her discomfort.

Today was turning out no different. As she was turning a corner too fast, she ran into a servant and the resulting collision sent her to the flailing to the ground. The servant took off hastily, leaving her alone on the cold floor. Regaining her feet, she found that her left ankle, still tender after all this time, had once again sprained. She only learnt this as she crashed to the floor with a grunt of surprise and pain.

Pausing for breath, she immediately felt eyes on her. Looking up, there was the demon lord, his usually unreadable features distorted into an amused smirk. She glared at him in annoyance and his smirk only grew as he offered her his hand. Reluctantly taking it, she was on her feet in an instant. Snapping her hand from his, she proceeded to turn her back on the inwardly laughing lord and started to limp her way back to her room. She could sense his increasing entertainment at her expense.

Of course, try as she might to walk with as much pride and grace as she could, even she had to admit it was a comical effort. She stumbled more than once before a still smirking demon grabbed her around the waist and carried her under his only arm to her room before returning with materials to tend her once again injured ankle. Cursing her luck, Kagome began to hastily wrap the material around the offending appendage before the demon lord had stopped her and proceeded to fix the bandage.

She wondered at his skill, but recalled that one as battle-worn as him must surely have encountered an assortment of injuries. Perhaps nothing as inane as a sprained ankle, but bandages were bandages. He said nothing while tending her, keeping his concentration on the task at hand and not meeting her eyes once he was done. Quietly he left her room, but stopped at the doorway.

"Do not hurt yourself again. You are useless to me broken."

With that he was gone.

With that, all her pent up frustrations came out in one loud outburst.

"I AM NOT YOUR TOY! I AM A REAL PERSON and I am not in this world simply to entertain YOUR SORRY ASS!"

Before she quite knew what was happening, tears were leaking from her eyes and with one sob, she flung her self into her pillows, weeping openly.

"I'm so sick of being used," she mumbled, but he heard it just fine.

He soundlessly returned to his library, pondering his pet's latest behavior and considering that her time as jester was drawing to a close. In a decision that was slightly more difficult to make than he expected, he consigned himself to the fact that his favorite toy would be leaving him the following day.

* * *

Kagome was taken back to the shard hunters with the reassurance that her services were no longer needed and her debt to the demon lord for returning her life paid in full. She would have it no other way.

Soon life resumed as it had been before her odd addiction to the mystery novel. Shards were hunted, demons destroyed, Naraku tracked, all without incident, all without the past 'visits' from the demon lord. She began to believe the experience was all a dream, but the bracelet that remained securely around her wrist proved otherwise. She could not ignore that something strange had happened, and she could not dismiss that in an odd way, that something had been welcome.

As much as she wanted to hate the former watcher for using her so, she simply could not. Instead, the more thought she related to the matter, the more she took pity on him. To be that powerful and have not the ability to entertain yourself successfully...why that had to be difficult. No wonder the arrogant demon had bothered them so relentlessly in the beginnings of their quest. He had probably seen Inuyasha as the latest plaything available. Even the hanyou could apparently not keep his attention though. She supposed she should feel special for having the ability to entertain the lord for so long. But alas, that time was over. Apparently, she was no longer needed or wanted. And the feelings associated with that thought were bittersweet.

Kagome kept the details of the experience to herself, including the true purpose of her visits to the lord's palace. Partially, she was ashamed of her role as jester, but moreso, the services she provided were kept hidden because she knew the former watcher would not appreciate his cold indestructible image being tarnished. She owed him that much to let her companions merely speculate on her agreement with the demon lord.

A day came when her anger at being a toy faded under the realization that she missed the arrogant jerk.

'I can't believe I miss that bastard's poor company,' she thought with a heavy sigh.

This simply had to be the craziest thing that had ever occurred to her, the fall into the well included. It was unfamiliar territory and there were no landmarks to keep her on the right track. She almost longed for the past problems she had encountered with her girlish crush on the hanyou. This was much more difficult as the feelings were entirely alien. Never before had she felt by someone's mere presence as she had in those moments in the library when she was relating the details of the tale she was reading. There was no denying his previous position as her unknown watcher. It was the same soothing presence and she hated it. She hated missing him.

Apparently she was not the only conflicted one in the relationship. She had not been back with the shard hunters a complete month before the group was intercepted by the demon lord's toad-ish retainer while breaking camp early one morning.

"Jaken? Is something wrong at the palace?" she asked instantly worried. For the lord to send his retainer, he must indeed be as close to distressed as he was able.

"My lord, the great Sesshoumaru-sama, demands your presence immediately," was his haughty reply.

"Demands? O really. I was under the impression that my services were no longer needed."

"You will be recompensed for your time." The toad was quickly losing his holier-than-thou-art demeanor in the face of her defiance.

"You have nothing I want."

"He is prepared to give you fragments of the Shikon jewel he has come across in his travels."

That caused a stir amongst the shard hunters. It really was a tempting offer. Still she was hesitant. Despite her recent acknowledgement to herself of her longing for his reassuring company, their last encounter had not been pleasant.

The toad retainer seemed to sense her hesitation.

"Please," he began beseechingly. "Please do not send this poor humble servant back without you."

That definitely caught her attention. She was damn certain the toad had never spoken the word 'please' to anyone besides his master in his entire life.

Eyeing him intently, she took in his tired eyes and the recent bruises on his green head. Pity stirred in her heart for the abused retainer and she could only wonder at the status of the rest of the servants. What could cause so much unrest in the demon lord?

"Okay, I'll go," she said wearily, preparing herself for the emotional burden of returning to the abandoned post. She would do this, be his toy again, if only so he would spare his staff. It was the least she could do for their previous kindness. As if to verify that her efforts would not be wasted, the toad demon immediately perked up, his big eyes seeing her in an entirely different light.

"Then come on, miko, we must be off at once," the toad said, for once referring to her by station instead of her obvious failings as a human and a female. The slip was noticed by the girl in question.

Ignoring the protestations of the hanyou, she grabbed her pack and bid her farewells to her companions before following the retainer back to the palace.

"Tell me now," she said seriously, borrowing the lord's tone, once they were out of earshot of the hanyou.

"Thank goodness you are coming! My lord has been troubled since your departure," he related grievously. "And now, with the conference in place, his everlasting patience is failing. He has been...harsher on his lowly servants than usual. It is hoped by all that you will be able to calm him."

"Argh!" she cried in frustration. "Can't he find a new plaything? I grow weary of the role!"

"Miko, you will do well to refrain from such outbursts." An awkward pause. "If it means anything to you, he has been ruthlessly defending your position at the palace with nothing short of viciousness. He grew very angry when I referred to you as 'the human pet.'" He seemed to be attempting to console her.

That knowledge stumped the poor girl. The remainder of the trip was spent in silence.

Upon arrival, she was greeted by a multitude of relieved servants and ushered into the library where the young lord was sitting at his desk, seemingly uninterested in her.

"You requested my presence?" she questioned hesitantly, not quite keeping the content grin from her face.

"Yes. I require your services for a week."

"The jewel shards..."

"You shall receive payment once our business has concluded."

"Ah." It was ridiculous to keep from smiling so she gave in to the urge. It caught his attention and he looked up from the paperwork to eye her curiously.

"It matters not to me if you give yourself airs as to your position here, as long as you remain useful." She supposed it was meant to reduce her, but she rightfully saw through the veil and identified it as the taunt it was.

"I am under no illusions as to my role here. I just find it curious that you are willing to go to such extents to secure some amusement. Surely the conference cannot be that dull?" Her smile only widened when she saw the return of the sparkle to his eyes, even as he narrowed them in mock anger.

"Wench, you have no idea."

She laughed. It could not be helped. Her imagination kept replaying the image of a increasingly frustrated demon lord sitting with all outward appearances of being calm and collected listening to a man drone on about crops. When her mirth had abated somewhat, she asked to be excused to her room.

"Yes. There you will find attire suitable for the present company."

"Okay."

He turned back to the countless scrolls littering his desk and she turned towards the doorway. She stopped as she moved to close the screen.

"Sesshoumaru-sama..." He looked up but she averted her gaze. "Don't be so hard on your servants."

That being said, she slid the screen shut and walked towards her room, ever aware of the amused aura she could feel from the demon lord. Her light laughter filled the corridor and those who heard it felt their spirits rise.

She retired to her room and immediately changed into one of the luxurious garments left for her use. O the wonders of silk. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad job after all.

* * *

The following three days went by without incident, Kagome returning to her former routine though her companion was missing behind the doors of his conference room during most of the day. Still, she did not mind. The palace radiated his comforting presence and the present epic she was engrossed in was nearly as addicting as the murder mystery had been.

However, the peace was not destined to last. As she intently read the tale, she was surprised by the library screen opening suddenly, with suppressed fury. Instantly her eyes locked onto the offender and without a word he beckoned her to follow.

To say she was worried would be an understatement. She had grown accustomed to being sought out or summoned over the past few days whenever the lord was substantially frustrated with the results of the conference. It was her job to calm him by any means she saw fit, though usually it took little more than bringing him tea and drifting into her usual library corner to discuss the story she was reading.

This was quite different. The demon was obviously furious and though it was in everyone's best interest for her to remedy situation, she was clueless where to start.

Unfortunately for her, he seemed to already have an idea what was necessary. He led her into a storeroom before stopping at a large chest. Casually tossing the heavy lid to the side, she was somewhat shocked to find the chest filled with the spare uniforms of the palace guards. The tense lord threw aside a few pieces of clothing before finding something that seemed to please him. Turning his intense gaze onto the girl, he took in her almost trembling figure before returning to the garment in hand and slicing the last few inches off the pant legs.

Without a word, he left the chamber slightly less tense when he recognized her rushed footsteps behind him as she struggled to match his pace. Stopping in front of her room, he waited until she had caught up before pushing the tortured cloth into her arms and pushing her into the room.

"Dress. Quickly." His blunt instructions left much to be desired but she did not question them. Instead, she quickly closed the screen to her room and rushed changing into the masculine pants. Seeing as he had failed to provide her with a top, she was forced to use her uniform shirt to complete the mix matched outfit. Not sure what he intended, she quickly threw her hair into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She left the room to find him waiting, clearly haven't having moved a muscle.

"Come." He glided away and she once again found herself struggling to keep pace before it suddenly dawned on her that she had neglected to put her shoes back on.

"My shoes..." she began hesitantly, not wanting to further aggravate the lord.

"Unnecessary."

Kagome only shrugged to herself and continued. She soon found herself in a large room, no doubt dedicated to training for physical combat. She was awestruck by the sheer size of the space but was soon distracted by the unlikely sight of the lord removing his swords and armor. As soon as the heavy boots left his feet, he immediately relaxed, rolling his shoulders as he stood again. Closing his eyes on the still shocked Kagome, he calmed himself enough to seem to melt into the air of the room. She could not believe this being in front of her was the same demon lord who had nearly succeeded in killing her during their first encounter.

"Attack me." The command was enough to surprise Kagome out of her stupor.

"WHAT?"

"Attack me. You have before."

"But..."

"But nothing. Fulfill your purpose and entertain me. Attack NOW." He seemed to be growing irritated again.

"Believe me, I'd like nothing more than to kick your arrogant ass, but I don't know how!"

"We've fought before."

"I wasn't exactly myself then."

Something seemed to occur to him and his irritation dissipated. He opened his eyes and gazed at the strangely attired miko with curiosity.

"You were fearless."

"I was distracted."

"Yes, but it made you fearless."

"Maybe but I'm not now."

"I will not hurt you."

"I know that," she said with a huff earning her an oddly amused look. "I'm not afraid of that."

"Explain."

She averted her gaze and instead focused on the floor.

"I'll only look stupid."

He smirked. The girl filled her role perfectly. Such a delightful creature.

"Regardless, we will fight. In time you will improve. Now we start. Attack me."

Her shoulders drooped as she looked up at him with a mix of exhaustion and exasperated anxiety. He waited for her to accept. Finally she closed her eyes and straightened her back.

"Tell me how." He smirked and the fun began.

* * *

She was tired and sore. Much more sore that she had been in a long while, even after all her adventures shard hunting. Still, she couldn't help the glee that radiated from her being. Though she was quite certain she would never attain any level of perfection, there was no denying the rush it was to face the lord in hand to hand combat.

"Simply amazing," she said breathlessly as she collapsed onto the pillows of her futon. After witnessing the grace of the lord as he took her through exercise after exercise, she knew without a doubt that he had been extremely lenient with his brother. He was the closest thing to indestructible she had ever seen.

Of course, he had kept his word. No injuries had occurred. Indeed, he even seemed to take extra care in strengthening her weaker left ankle. She was only exhausted and sore from the best workout of her life.

Once her heartbeat had returned to something closer to normal, she realized exactly how sweaty she was. All at once a bath was necessary. Changing out of the battered pants and torn uniform shirt, she donned a robe and sought out the spring.

She returned an hour later feeling infinitely better, which was saying a lot since she had never felt so alive after the combat training. Still, she was exhausted and could not wait to sink into the soft pillows on her futon. In an instant she was in her nightwear and about to give herself to the sweet bliss of sleep.

Unfortunately, her employer had other plans. Without knocking, he slid open the screen door and threw a brightly colored bundle at her. Kagome barely caught it and questioned the demon lord with her eyes.

"Dress quickly." She nodded mutely as he retreated, closing the door in his wake.

'Ugh, this is going to be a long night...' she thought dejectedly, suddenly very tired as she unwound the bundle to discover a most stunning outfit. She did as she was commanded and dressed quickly, taking time only to brush her hair to semi-dryness and slip into her silk slippers before exiting the room to find the lord's faithful retainer waiting for her in lieu of the lord himself.

"Follow me and listen carefully." She nodded as she fell into step beside the toad. "The conference has broken for the night but the participants have demanded a social gathering to break the tension of the proceedings. They are currently gathered in the main room enjoying tea. You are to be the entertainment."

Kagome couldn't stop from huffing in annoyance.

"Shush, wench, you are not expected to do anything more than be yourself."

"Okey dokey," she answered with a sigh. They stopped in front of the entrance to the main room. Taking in a deep breath, she signaled for Jaken to open the screen.

"Good evening," she said sweetly while forcing her brightest smile to forefront.

'A really long night,' she thought to herself yet again as she began her appointed task.

* * *

The quiet demon lord couldn't help but be astonished at the ease in which the miko blended into the gathering. He had been confident her presence would be useful but in no way had he guessed the extent of the girl's power. She had already charmed every male in the room and gossiped with every female despite the obvious barriers of wealth, status, and species.

'Such a splendid creature,' he thought to himself, fighting a pleased smirk as he watched her from his place settled comfortably on a large cushion by the wall.

"Enjoying the view, Lord Sesshoumaru?" a particularly spirited demon asked while he seated himself beside the quiet lord. He was answered with silence.

"I must say, your companion is very enjoyable. I can see why you keep her around." The lord merely nodded in assent. "Wherever did you find her?"

"She travels with my half-brother," the quiet lord allowed, keeping his face in perfect indifference. This simple answer seemed to only fuel the demon's interest.

"She is the miko that seeks the Shikon jewel?" A nod. "Ah, powerful too...quite the catch you have made."

"You take me for a fool. The wench is merely my jester," he said coldly.

"Please forgive me, my lord. I was mistaken."

A long pause filled the space while both demons watched the girl in question. Her bright smile illuminated the room. Sensing her master spectator's unease, she excused herself from her present company and went to his side, still smiling widely.

"Do you require anything, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"No."

"May I retire to the library then?"

"Yes. I will join you shortly."

"Thank you, my lord." With a bow, she departed and the room seemed darker without her presence.

"Well, I see you have business to attend to," the demon beside him said mischievously.

"Indeed." He blatantly ignored the tone behind the comment.

After a while, the lord dismissed his guests for the night and sought his pet. He found her in the library, curled on her customary corner pillow, book resting lightly in her lap and short steady breaths belying her lack of consciousness.

"You are troublesome, little miko," he said quietly, lest he wake her.

"Still," he continued while testing once more the pliancy of her hair. "You seem to be worth the price paid." He kneeled to examine her further.

"Such an odd addiction you are." It was half admittance of her importance and half anger at her for putting him in such a position.

He frowned thoughtfully. Without another word, he lifted her carefully to his shoulder and rose to take her back to her room. She shifted on his shoulder seeking in her sleep to find a more comfortable position. Trying to forget the calming warmth of her body, he returned her as quickly as possible.

However, it was enough time for the miko to entwine her fingers in his garment and she proved difficult to remove. Finally it became obvious that the easiest non-violent solution to his problem was to wake the girl.

"Wench." She merely squirmed and tightened her grip.

"Miko, wake." Nothing. It was quite astonishing how she could find the awkward position suitable.

Fighting the urge to sigh, he turned until he was able to roll the girl from his shoulder and onto the bed. As soon as she touched the soft pillows, she relaxed her grip and the lord was able to remove himself.

Still, he stood at the edge, watching her sink into the bed and fade even further into dreamland. She looked so peaceful that he was slightly taken back when suddenly she grumbled and reached across the futon for something she seemed unable to find. The book came to mind but her sleep-laden words surprised him to no end.

"Don't go...Sesshoumaru..."

Placing his hand on her shoulder, he watched in unveiled awe as she instantly calmed under his touch.

Quite the interesting specimen she was, really.

* * *

The remainder of the week took on the schedule set by the third day. During the day she would entertain Rin and read in the quiet of the library. Shortly after the evening meal, she would be summoned to the training room for yet another session with the lord. After cleaning up, socializing time in the main room went long into the night. It was tiring but thoroughly enjoyable once she got the knack of it. The company was pleasant for the most part and she gleefully looked forward to combat time. She felt stronger despite the short time. Truly, the demon lord was entertaining her as much as she seemed to entertain him lately.

On the morning of the last day of her stay, she bid the conference participants farewell as they returned to their respective lands. Of course, she was ensured from all that her presence was always welcome at their homes. Afterwards, she sought out the lord in the library where she found him once more studying the paperwork that never seemed to diminish.

"You wish to leave." His cold tone seemed to suck all the warmth from her body. Still, she was reluctant to part from his company.

"Duty calls. I cannot forsake my destiny." He nodded in agreement before eyeing her speculatively.

"You do not want to leave." Hearing it put so only reinforced the idea in Kagome's mind. Grinning slightly, she nodded.

"Still, I must," she said with a shrug. She met his gaze and saw no amusement in his softened eyes. However it was soon replaced by a shabby veiled look that only left her longing for more.

'If he looked at me like that more often,' she thought with a sigh as she lowered her eyes to the floor. 'Then I don't think I'd ever leave.'

Movement caught her attention and she found the demon lord standing in front of her, opening her palm and inserting into it a small bottle. Glancing at the contents, she discovered several glowing jewel shards, her payment for the week. Squeezing the bottle tightly, she felt the shards purify before turning back to the lord.

"Come," he commanded as he stepped out of the library. She followed obediently as he led the way to back to her room. "Pack and be at the palace entrance in 10 minutes. It is time." She nodded mutely and entered the room.

Packing was a short affair that she was quite skilled at and in no time she was once again in her usual attire with the tortured yellow bag sitting precariously on her aching shoulders. She met the toad-like retainer at the palace entrance and assumed that he would lead her back to her comrades as usual. However, her guide seemed hesitant to leave. Within moments they were joined by the lord.

"Come," he said stiffly as he began walking away from his residence. She could only guess as to his reasons for personally escorting her back.

The first hour of travel was spent in comfortable silence but as they neared the shard hunters, Kagome became anxious of leaving the lord's side. Truly, she did not understand why his presence was so calming and comforting, and she dared not expend much time thinking on the issue. Rather she just accepted that spending time with him was becoming necessary to keep her sanity, strange as that thought was.

The group ceased their enchanted travel some distance from the approaching hunters. The demon seemed content to wait for them in his present location and signaled for her to situate herself at the base of a tree. He arranged himself languidly across from her and there they waited in peaceful silence. Once the voices of her companions could be heard, the miko rose and stared intently at the quiet lord. He returned her gaze before pulling a tightly wrapped bundle from his sleeve and tossing it to her.

"Every night, dusk, removed from your companions." She nodded at his curious words and watched as he walked away. She was still staring at the point she had last seen him when her fellow hunters greeted her.

After the preliminary hellos were made, the monk seemed to notice the bundle she was gripping tightly to her chest. Realizing she had yet to unwrap it, she did so and gasped in pleasure. There was the fighting attire she had left in her room, the mutilated pants of the palace guards and the now sleeveless uniform shirt. Suddenly his parting words made sense. Her friends were taken by surprise when the obviously strange and tattered outfit elicited the largest smile they had ever seen on the girl's face.

* * *

Every night without fail the miko met the lord and they continued the strange tradition that had begun during the week of the conference. Every night she donned the same strange apparel and awaited the demon in whatever clear area she could find out of the sensory range of her companions. Every night she would be thrown about carefully as she struggled to master exercise after exercise. The lord always seemed to know when she was in danger of pushing too far and always stopped before she could pass out. Once he departed, she bathed and returned happily exhausted to the group.

The shard hunters were not stupid. They knew very well something was going on with their friend but were for the most part not bothered by it. She never seemed happier than when she came back from her mysterious task each night. Whatever apprehension they had over her doings was overshadowed by their joy that at least this addiction was healthier for the girl. Still, they were curious.

"Where do you go every night, Kagome?" the fox child asked one morning as the monk restarted the failing fire for their breakfast.

"There's just something I have to do, Shippou," she responded cryptically while stretching her aching muscles. Times like these, she really missed the soft futons of the palace.

"Oh," he said dejectedly. She frowned at his distress but before she could say anything to distract him from his questions, she was startled by a demon bursting upon their camp. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen, apparently off in search of food and that left the humans to fight off the intruder. It immediately attacked the miko before her bracelet could activate. However, her new instincts kicked in and as it seemed to be lowly and without many natural weapons, she was easily able to tackle and restrain it.

"Sango, quickly," she said with a grunt as the demon struggled in her hold. The slayer finished off the attacker and sat on the ground, eyeing her companion wearily.

"Those were some good moves, Kagome."

"Eh...It was nothing..." the miko stuttered, suddenly feeling as if her secret was out. The monk and demon slayer remained quiet on the matter though, regarding each other with guarded expressions while the fox child rambled about how awesome the scene was. When the hanyou returned with his prize, he was immediately assaulted by the young demon and his description of the battle.

"Shut up, runt, Kagome did no such thing," he said gruffly. Kagome felt insulted that he felt her incapable and said as much.

"Like I believe you subdued a youkai barehanded."

"Osuwari!" A grunt of annoyance and a few select mumbled curses reached her ears but she ignored him. Truly, one day she would show the jerk.

She got her chance sooner than she thought. As soon as the spell wore off, she felt his presence behind and upon turning, found him springing for her. Her nights spent with the lord kicked in and she defended herself rightly. Though she would never be a match for the hanyou in strength, the techniques taught her by his brother proved invaluable. After escaping from yet another hold, she breathed and called for an end. The hanyou sat with legs crossed and ordered the monk to finish preparing breakfast before he resumed staring relentlessly at the winded miko.

"How long?" he asked suddenly, causing everyone in the camp to jump.

"What do you mean?" she retaliated.

"You don't think I recognize his style? How long has he been teaching you?"

She sighed regretfully. There was no way she could deny the truth now.

"Since the last time I was summoned."

"Every night since?"

"Yes."

"When you went home?"

"I returned at dusk each night."

He was silent and stared at her in cold annoyance. Finally, with a huff of annoyance, he got up and started on his breakfast, but not before imparting last words.

"Stop keeping secrets from your friends, Kagome."

* * *

Kagome decided to return home that day, partially so she could escape the scrutiny of her friends now that they were aware of her nightly training sessions with their former enemy.

Once she was securely on the other side of the well, pent up questions popped out of the mouths of the shard hunters.

"Kagome is being trained in combat by Sesshoumaru?" began the monk.

"She meets the bastard every night," responded the hanyou.

"What is going on between them?" asked the demon slayer.

"Hell if I know, but I don't like it," responded the hanyou.

The others nodded in agreement but Miroku stopped and his eyes glazed over with curiosity.

"She seems happy," he stated. The others were silent. "But I wonder about Sesshoumaru..."

The silence continued as they went over every experience they had ever had with the cold hearted demon lord. Though they had few encounters with him lately, even they had to acknowledge his recent changes. His actions concerning their young friend were very obviously strange and like nothing they had witnessed before. The words of his servants rang in their ears as they remembered each time the miko had been summoned. Soon it became achingly obvious.

"Wow," the fox child stated adequately. "They are addicted to each other."

"Hmph," the hanyou said while leaping away, as expected. Like he wanted to discuss the possibility that his closest friend (and the reincarnation of his dead lover, no less) was now involved in a strange relationship with his hated brother.

Once he had left, the remaining hunters looked at each other in unveiled surprise and delight.

"What do you think she does at the palace?" the demon slayer asked in wonder.

"I have some ideas..." the monk began before a large boomerang found its way to his head.

"My lovely Sango, you misunderstand. I simply meant that perhaps they simply enjoy each others company." The monk was the master of the smooth recovery. However, those words seemed to only make the abnormal situation even more abnormal. Who would have guessed the girl would befriend her former enemy?

"This...this is just odd." The demon slayer's statement summed up the problem well enough. "So, what do we...do?"

"We?" the monk questioned. "It's best if we do nothing. Kagome is dealing with this as she sees fit and we have no reason to doubt her. Considering how long this has been going on, it's reasonable to say that under our very noses a few lines were crossed between them. I find it unlikely that he will harm her now after all this time. As much as it bothers me, there is no reason for us to act on this." He paused and lifted a finger to his chin in contemplation. "Actually, the more thought I give it, the more I appreciate whatever bond they've formed. As I said earlier, I've never seen Kagome happier..."

* * *


	4. Part 4

**A Completely Innocent Addiction  
**_Just A Starving Writer_

**_Disclaimer:_** nope, not mine.

**Part 4: An encounter, a consideration, and a conclusion**

Kagome was mad. Or perhaps the correct word was furious. Yes, furious fit her current mood perfectly.

Every night for the last week she had been stood up. She would have expected the action from the hanyou but not his brother. Never his brother. He had not once missed one of their nightly sessions over the past two odd months. And now a week had gone by and he was nowhere to be found. It was extremely tempting to just take off for the palace and demand an explanation.

In fact, she decided to do just that. Convincing her companions to head west was the easy part. Getting the hanyou to quit his complaining the closer they got was much more difficult.

Finally, she reached the palace without difficulties and was greeted pleasantly by the front guards. They informed her that their lord was not in residence, having been called away north for a conference.

"Why wasn't I informed?" she asked unable to hide the pain in her voice.

"Perhaps there simply was no time, my lady."

She shrugged and was quiet as she decided her options. Staying and waiting was not a choice, especially not with her friends in tow. Still, something seemed not right. It occurred to her that despite their difficulties, the lord and she were close enough for her to be informed of what was going on, particularly if it affected her.

Inquiring about the lord's present location only cemented the plan that was forming in her mind. He was currently residing at the palace of one of the past conference's delegates, someone she was on good terms with...and who had personally invited her to his home several times. She smiled wryly. It was time to take up his offer.

They stayed at the palace long enough for Kagome to say hello to some of the staff she had grown close to during her previous visits, and comfort Rin, who was bored and missed her lord. After promising that she would return soon to spend quality time with the child, the shard hunters once again departed, this time headed north to the great dismay of the hanyou who simply could not understand why finding his brother was so damned important.

Kagome ignored his loud protests and continued onward. The situation was troubling her greatly. Her emotions strayed from worry to anger and back to worry. Something was not right. She could only hope that upon arrival at the northern palace, she would find all well.

She pushed herself and her traveling companions hard and they reached the northern palace in record time. Deciding that perhaps speaking alone with the palace's owner was the best idea, she did just that, requesting an audience from the front guards. Thankfully, she was greeted warmly and after a short discussion, her and her friends were allowed entrance and accommodations. However, it was made clear that due to the conference, her friends would need to use care in addressing the visitors. No misunderstandings would be allowed.

The shard hunters decided to remain in their rooms, but Kagome had other business. Donning a borrowed outfit from the lady of the palace, she was led to the main room where the conference participants were taking tea. She hesitated before the entrance, hoping and praying that her surprise visit to her lordly friend would be taken well.

Her grand entry elicited many shocked gasps but everyone seemed to be pleasantly surprised. Scanning the room, she located the demon lord of her interest and found he was looking at her with something akin to astonished and relieved joy in his indifferent face. Instantly she forgot her anger and worry and her already wide smile stretched even farther. There wasn't a soul in the room who did not notice her telling action.

After personally greeting the others in the room, she made her way toward her unlikely comrade.

"Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama. Imagine seeing you here," she said calmly, unable and unwilling to remove the goofy grin from her face.

"Why?"

"Why am I here? Simple. You neglected our appointments. Really, you should not shirk your responsibilities," she admonished.

He smirked and she welcomed the amused spark in his eyes.

"Quite the interesting creature you are," he allowed.

"Well, isn't that why I became your jester to begin with?"

The look in his eyes softened into something closer to tender curiosity.

"You should know I ceased to see you as a toy long ago."

Shocked was an understatement. After her surprise had worn down, an insanely bright smile lit her face.

"That's good to know. Still, you should know I will forever see it as my duty to entertain you."

By goodness if the stoic lord didn't grin at that declaration. Even after all her time as court jester, she had never once seen the demon more than smirk. It was beautiful really and stole the breath right from her body. So amazed was she that she failed to notice the audience they had acquired. He seemed to be ignorant of their spectators as well.

"You haven't been torturing your staff too much in my absence, have you?"

"No, they have not unduly suffered, though your absence is questionable. You fulfill your purpose just the same away from my palace."

"They haven't unduly suffered, eh? Well, I'll let that one pass considering none seemed to have any recent bruises when I checked on them. They eagerly await your return, especially your ward."

"You were at the palace?"

"Of course. I don't take being stood up lightly."

"You were not informed of my absence?" Somewhere in the west, a forgetful servant shivered in fear.

"Nope. Not until I arrived at your palace a few days ago."

"And you sought me here?"

"Hey, I know how moody you get without your amusements, especially at these things. I figured it was in everyone's best interest if I properly fulfilled my duty and sidetracked you from killing poor hapless servants."

"Is that so?"

"That, and I am completely addicted to you."

He grinned again and the room's inhabitants took a collective breath.

"That cannot be good." The amusement in his eyes spoke against the coldness in his voice.

"At least it's not as bad as the murder mystery. I'm not attacking anyone unjustly now."

"Hmph."

"Hey! If I recall, you COMMAND me to attack you each night. It's not like I initiate the sessions, mister, even if I do happen to enjoy them. You've really put me out this last week."

"Fine. Come." He set toward the door, her following.

"But the others..."

"You forget, Miko, they are not my guests this time."

"Oh, right."

"Where are you staying?"

"East Wing with my friends."

"Your companions are present?"

"Yup. Your brother refused to let me go alone and where we go, the others go. Sorry."

"It will be dealt with."

She showed him her room and he motioned for her to enter.

"Dress quickly. I cannot allow your rash behavior to go unpunished." The sparkle in his eye completely dismissed the threat in his voice.

"I see. As you wish, my lord," she mocked as she closed the screen.

Grinning widely, she dressed in her usual fighting attire and, barefooted, joined the lord and they proceeded to the training room, stopping once at his borrowed quarters to drop off his armor, swords, and boots before continuing on.

Upon arriving at the room, they wasted no time and immediately began stretching. Without warning, Kagome sprang to tackle her opponent. He effortlessly blocked and took her to the ground.

"That was not commanded. That was all you, my pet."

"Yes," she acknowledged as she squirmed out of his hold and gained her feet. "But it wasn't unjust."

"Was it?"

"Nope. You were definitely asking for it."

"I see." He quickly pinned her against the wall.

"What do you expect, leaving me without a word for a week? You had to be punished," she explained as she unlocked herself from his arm as he had taught. However, he quickly caught her and she found herself against the wall once again.

"You have grown weak in my absence. Had I known what the result would be, I would have insisted you accompany me."

"Is that so?" she huffed while struggling to be released. His grip only tightened.

"Indeed, it is obvious you lack the ability to train without me."

"Oh, you jerk!" With that exclamation, she stamped as hard as she could on his bare foot and when his hold loosened, successfully removed herself from the position.

"That was unexpected."

"Isn't that why you keep me alive?" she asked while putting herself into a defensive position.

"Perhaps."

"Then why?" she asked curiously while blocking a hit.

He merely smirked and snuck past her defenses, hitting her not so lightly on the shoulder.

"Argh!" she yelled while giving up the traditional pose and opting for something slightly more informal. In short, she jumped him again. They both landed on the padded ground and soon enough she found herself back to the floor with a foot planted firmly beneath her ribs.

"Ugh," she sighed. "I hate this position."

"One would think you'd have grown accustomed to it by now."

"O shush and let me up."

He smirked and his amused eyes looked positively evil.

"No."

"What? Let me up now!"

"No. I prefer you where you are."

"You jerk!"

"Insults will get you nowhere."

"What WILL get me somewhere?"

"Say it." Her face immediately froze at this command.

"No."

"Say it and you will be freed."

"Never."

"You prefer your current position?"

"To that? Yes."

"Such a strange creature."

"Still, I refuse."

"Why?"

"You don't think I remember what happened last time?"

"Was the punishment so difficult to endure?"

"YES!"

"Fool, I was lenient."

"I know that, but I still don't want to do it again."

"Really?" He pressed his foot harder onto her stomach. Her unease was obvious.

"Do you submit?"

"No," she grumbled while trying to ignore the pain. He only pushed harder.

"Do you submit?"

"Fine, fine!" she gasped. "I submit!"

He lessened his hold but did not release the girl.

"Say it correctly."

"All of it?" she asked in disbelief. He pressed her stomach again.

"Okay, okay, I submit to your wishes, my lord." He released her and watched with a pleased smirk as she rested, breathing deeply in exhaustion.

"What do you want this time?" she asked as she sat up. The lord looked at her pointedly.

"Fine, what is your wish, my lord?"

"Tend the foot you so unwisely attacked." For a brief moment she was confused until she peeked at his feet and noticed her stomp had been a bit harder than she had believed. A large bruise was forming on the pale flesh of the left foot. It was such a strange sight, she couldn't help but laugh.

"You find my discomfort amusing?" he asked with reproach.

"Why not?" she responded with happy tears brightening her eyes. "You find mine the same."

He only smirked.

"Fine, now do what you were bid."

She motioned for him to take a seat in front of her and he did so, extending the harmed foot out to her waiting hands. The miko rubbed her hands together quickly, using the friction to warm them up before starting on the foot. Being that it was but a mere bruise, there was not much more she could do than massage the flesh. She could only hope that would be enough to satisfy him.

"You know, I believe this is the first time I've ever harmed you," she stated while continuing her ministrations.

"Do not delude yourself, wench. I have not been 'harmed.' Besides, the stunt was dishonorable."

"Well pardon me for not knowing the rules."

"No."

She huffed in annoyance before an evil smirk played on her countenance. Stopping the foot massage, she prodded the bruise. He stiffened.

"Stop that."

"Then don't provoke the girl holding your injured foot."

"Agreed. Now continue your punishment."

Kagome resumed the task at hand.

"Will this be the extent of my punishment?" she questioned.

"Perhaps."

"O come on!"

"Do not whine, wench."

"I'll do as I wish."

"No you will not."

She poked the bruise again. Instantly, she was pinned to the floor.

"Do not tempt me, human."

"You won't hurt me," she said without reservation. Indeed, she seemed not to be the least bit frightened.

"Are you so sure?" he asked with an amused smirk.

"Yup. You can't kill your jester now, can you?"

He released her and sat back up.

"I suppose not."

She sat up and reached for his injured foot, continuing the massage. They remained in comfortable silence, the girl tending the feet of the demon lord. When the task was completed and both feet thoroughly satisfied, they retired from the training room to clean up. It wasn't until then that a hanyou, previously hidden in the shadows, emerged with a confused look scrunching the features of his face.

"That was just weird," Inuyasha stated to the empty room. He had stumbled across the pair halfway through their fight and watched the altercation in awe. While he was pleased that neither seemed to sense him, it also served to inform him of the depth of their relationship. It appeared that while together, nothing else mattered to the unlikely duo. He shook his head in disbelief and left the room to silence.

He found the shard hunters, minus one jewel detector, in the sitting area of the monk's room discussing the latest turn of events. Taking his customary position with crossed legs on the floor, he sat in aggravated silence until the tension he created was adequate enough to shift the attention to him.

"I saw them." Simple enough but all eyes were riveted on his red clad figure.

"They were fighting in the training room."

"Fighting?" the demon slayer questioned.

"Feh, if you call that fighting. Looked more like foreplay to me." The hanyou huffed, looking more and more like a sulking child.

"Oh really," the monk began, his imagination no doubt creating countless scenes for him to enjoy.

"Not like that, lecher. He was being lenient...I dunno. But something is definitely going on between them."

"Something else happened," the monk guessed wisely. Inuyasha seemed hesitant to divulge the information but finally relented.

"She rubbed his feet."

All jaws in the room with the exception of the hanyou's collectively dropped.

"She what?" asked everyone.

"Shit, you heard me. Kagome rubbed the bastard's feet."

"Oh my," said the demon slayer quite rightly.

* * *

The following day was spent comfortably in the palace. After meeting with the northern lord, the shard hunters were given limited freedom in the residence. In the evening, they were welcomed to join the conference delegates during their nightly tea social. The hunters were slightly tense in the presence of so many powerful youkai but soon lightened when they saw the ease in which Kagome melted into the room. They were whisked through so many introductions by the miko that they rarely had time to take in the names of whom they had just met. At last, they were left to their own devices as she once again took her position beside their leader's brother.

The monk and demon slayer soon became a popular form of entertainment as the conference attendees watched gleefully the male's attempts at fondling the female, and the female's violent responses. So caught up were they in the spectacle that no one was aware when Kagome left the room to seek a moment of silence.

"Tired?" the northern lord asked, surprising the miko out of her reverie.

"Yes, my lord."

"Come, I wish to speak with you." He walked toward the conference room and she dutifully fell into step behind him. Upon reaching their location, he took a seat at the head of the large table and she situated herself on one of the many pillows near him.

"You and the Western Lord have grown close." Obviously, the palace's leader was not one to waste time with tact.

"I suppose."

"You are fond of him, are you not?"

"I am merely his jester."

"Answer me."

"I guess." She paused. "Pardon me, my lord, but what business is it of yours?"

He smiled wryly. There was a reason the girl was a guest of his, as she so astutely displayed.

"True, miko, but the matter interests me and all the ruling class. Since you took your position, much has changed in the Western lands."

"Is there something wrong?" Her worry was evident.

"The opposite, my dear. The Western Lands are prospering like never before. No one can deny the connection."

"What do you mean?"

"You, miko, are exactly what that cold bastard has needed all this time. We appreciate whatever services you have provided for him and wish for you to continue. You have our approval to do whatever necessary to keep him pleased."

Kagome was unsure if she needed to feel complimented, shocked, or appalled. She settled on a combination.

"It's nice to know my work is valued, but I do not need your approval. I'm not sure what relationship you assume I have with Sesshoumaru-sama, but I must ensure you I am merely his jester."

"It was not my intention to offend, but surely you must admit how unlikely it seems that your relationship is so simple after all this time and considering how much he has changed."

"What exactly are you saying?!"

"Miko, we had assumed you were entertaining the lord in other more worldly ways."

"Why, I...! NO!" she sputtered, clearly shocked and appalled at this open revelation into her supposed relationship with her employer.

"Please pardon our conclusions. Still, you must be informed that we would not interfere with such a union. Though you are human, you have gained the favor of all. Indeed, you are the most highly praised person of your species. It would be an honor for you to join the court and be our equal."

She merely rubbed her head in frustration. It was entirely too late to be having such an odd and impure discussion. Sighing, she said the only thing she could think of.

"May I please be excused for the night, my lord?"

"Certainly." She rose to leave but paused when he continued in a strange tone that made her doubt his motives.

"I hear you enjoy reading. If such is the case, the library is in the Northern wing."

She supposed he was planning something but decided the matter did not need further thought. Nodding, she left and returned to her own room. Changing into something slightly more comfortable, she laid on the futon, willing sleep to come to her but clearly unable to achieve that goal. Finally, huffing in annoyance, she silently padded barefoot to the suggested library only to find that she was not the only inhabitant of the room.

"You left the gathering." His cold tone belied no emotion but his eyes seemed to show disappointment.

"Our generous host wished to speak to me," she explained as she took a seat on a cushion slightly removed from his relaxed form.

"Concerning?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Of course, that only made him more interested.

"Tell me or I shall extend your previous punishment."

"You wouldn't." An eyebrow was raised defiantly. Oh yes he would.

"Fine!" she said in exasperation. Truly, she was getting the raw end of the deal tonight. "He wanted to thank me for 'servicing you.'"

"You jest." If anything, his tone had grown colder and his countenance was entirely serious.

"I wish," she stated, avoiding his penetrating stare. "He enquired as to our relationship."

"How did you respond?" he interrogated.

"That I was your jester. No more." He nodded in assent.

"What are you so worried about? It's not like you had to sit through that embarrassing conversation," Kagome continued.

"You are incorrect." She paled.

"You're joking."

"I, Sesshoumaru do not joke." Ah, the high and mighty tone had at last returned. So much had she appreciated its absence! The lack had made her feel almost respected.

"The conference's latest topic has been you, wench. You have made quite a name for yourself."

"Eh..." the comment sounded suspiciously like praise, even if it was only being relayed by an uninterested third party.

"What other matters did he discuss with you?" his interrogation continued.

"I'm not telling."

The eyebrow rose again.

"I suspected as much," he said, sidestepping her resistance and going straight to the matter. "Does it not please you that you have been approved to join the court in such a manner?" he questioned.

"I can't say I don't like being thought of so highly. It's really something, except I guess I never fully realized how low they thought of me to begin with. Kind of an insult and compliment in one. As for the manner..." she shot him a glance. "That is entirely different."

"How so? Am I not suitable for one such as you?" His eyes were sparkling mischievously in his smirking face. She shifted uncomfortably on her pillow, completely aware of his amusement at her expense. Truly, nothing had changed.

She decided once again that it was entirely too late to be having such a conversation. Standing, she glared at him angrily. The look only seemed to further entertain the lord.

"I am too tired to discuss this further. Goodnight. I will resume my duty in the morning."

Seeing her move to leave, his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the floor. She struggled fruitlessly against him and he only pulled her into his arm, effectively pinning her against his body.

"Are you quite done?"

"Not quite." She fought with increased vigor before practically collapsing in his grasp.

"Shall we continue our conversation?" he asked solemnly.

"Fine."

'Really, what an arrogant ass,' she thought in aggravation even as she arranged herself more comfortably on the demon's legs.

"I have considered the matter." She knew he was joking, despite his serious tone and earlier declaration against such actions.

"Hmph."

"Such an odd creature you are."

"I am but a lowly human."

"True."

Her temper flared. "Then, pray tell, why would you ever consider this lowly human?"

It wasn't until that instant that she realized he had released her for quite some time. His hand directed her face to look at him and she allowed it, if only to see his expression.

"Because this Sesshoumaru is addicted to this lowly human."

He carefully ran the pad of one finger down her cheek and she tried to forget how nice it felt and focus on the current discussion.

"That can't be good," she said, borrowing his phrase from the night before.

"That I know." He cupped her cheek and proceeded to kiss her softly. She couldn't say it was unexpected or anything but thoroughly satisfying.

Releasing the cheek, he allowed her to adjust herself, curled in his lap, head resting lightly on his clavicle. Her slowing heartbeat and shallow breath signaled her approach to sleep.

"I am entirely too comfortable in your presence," she mumbled thoughtfully, attempting to fight her descent into unconsciousness.

"Yes, you are, Kagome."

"You know, that is the first time you've used my name since we met."

"It will not be the last."

Kissing his exposed neck, she allowed sleep to overtake her. The demon lord merely sat as he had to begin with, completely unperturbed by the recent events.

Truly, she was an interesting creature and he could not delude himself into believing he could live without her. It was such a completely natural thing to need that it brooked no further thought of consequence. He would allow this grand exception to his dislike for humans just this once, just for her.

They remained in the library until dawn when the lord saw it necessary to return the woman to her room. Since shouldering her was no longer an option, he settled for lifting her into his only arm. It would have been quite the impossible position if one did not consider his inhuman strength or the fact that the miko, despite her recent acquisition of muscle, was near weightless.

He strode back to her room, and was not the least bit surprised to find her companions lying in wait. Of course, he was well aware that the hanyou kept one eye on her as often as possible and would have detected her absence. Still, he was not expecting the shocked awe on the waking faces of the shard hunters. Choosing to ignore them, he deposited his burden onto her futon beside the still slumbering fox child, and went to leave the still gaping crew. He was stopped at the door by his half-brother's hand.

"You hurt her, you die," the hanyou promised quietly.

"She will not be harmed," he responded staring coldly into his offender's eyes.

"She isn't a toy," the half-breed continued. The lord turned his gaze onto the slumbering miko.

"That I know, brother." He brushed the hand aside, departing the room and returning to his own. As he prepared for the day ahead, he was strangely distressed by the lack of warmth his body was assaulted by once the girl was removed from his presence. Surely it was only a side affect of having been her pillow through the night. Though he could not lie to himself and say the feeling did not exist, he could choose to ignore it and did thus.

Truly, sometimes the girl was more than troublesome. He smirked in amusement. That, of course, was how he had gotten himself into this situation to begin with.

* * *

Upon waking, Kagome was shocked to find two humans, a hanyou, and a young demon staring intently at her. Bolting into a seated position, she questioned them with her eyes.

"Good morning, Kagome." The monk was always so dutifully polite but this morning his tone was suspicious.

"Good morning, Miroku."

"I trust you enjoyed your evening."

'Ah, so that's what he's getting at.'

"Yes, thank you." She smiled thoughtfully. It was not a lie.

"Does he make you happy?" the demon slayer asked hesitantly.

It was entirely too early to be having this discussion, but much like the previous night, she knew the excuse would not be allowed.

"Yes, I believe he does."

Their expressions instantly softened.

"The arrogant bastard actually makes me happy. How odd is that?" There was neither argument nor answer, not like she expected one.

The day progressed without incident. The training session was slightly less vigorous and more distracted. It couldn't be helped. Being repeatedly pinned down by a handsome lord whom she had recently pledged her heart to was doing nothing for her libido or his, for that matter.

In the evening, the group once again found themselves persuaded to join the socializing delegates. Once again, Kagome greeted the attendees, this time with her lord at her side. All the court present smiled graciously at the pair and she was hard pressed not to blush at their knowing stares.

As time progressed, the miko grew weary and retired to her room, followed closely by her partner. Immediately upon entry, the exhausted woman threw herself onto the bedding and motioned for the lord to keep her company. He sat with his back against the wall at the edge of the futon while she curled herself into a ball at the other end.

"What happens now?" she questioned sleepily. Both knew of what she spoke.

"The conference concludes tomorrow and we must take our leave. Return with me to my residence." She nodded against a pillow. "There is much I wish to discuss with you in private." She nodded again, stifling a yawn half way through. Her eyes drifted shut.

He assumed she had fallen asleep when her breathing slowed significantly and was considering leaving for his own bed.

"Stay with me?" she pleaded softly, tiredly reaching out for him without opening her eyes. Unable to resist, he stretched himself onto the bed and pulled her beside him.

"Forever," he stated solemnly as she drifted back asleep. Lying with the girl securely in his arm, he could not stop the grin that found its way to his face before he too fell into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early and after a quick meeting of the delegates, plus Kagome, to conclude business, they set out for their homes. The shard hunters joined the western demon lord on his journey, seeing as how the miko would have it no other way. She led the group beside the lord and they arrived at the western palace soon thereafter, having resorted to enchanted means halfway through their journey. Seeing as how dusk was falling and the miko was particularly fond of them, the shard hunters were given accommodations for the night. They settled in for the night once agreement had been reached concerning their quest continuing in the morning.

Business had just begun for the lord and miko however. After the few belongings she always left in her allotted room were brought to the lord's expansive suite, they retired to the library and began a strange discussion.

"To begin with, I guess it's time to spill about my origins," the woman began. During the extensive time they had become familiar with each other, not once had she elected to give an even partially detailed account of her home.

She regaled him with the tale of the well, the jewel, the struggle with Naraku, and her fears concerning her fate once the Shikon was completed. He took it all unflinching...until he realized their already short time together due to her extreme mortality might be made shorter by a failure of the enchanted well. She seemed to sense his distress.

"Don't think about it now. That's how I deal with it. We'll get to it when the time comes, okay?" she reassured, readjusting herself behind him so she could run her fingers through his hair, something she had been longing to do for damn near forever.

"How close are you to finishing the jewel?"

"Just waiting on Naraku to show his ugly face."

"When you find him, alert me immediately. I too have business with the hanyou."

"Can do."

They sat in thoughtful silence as she continued her ministrations to his hair. He leaned into her, bringing her hand to his chest and proceeding to study it intensely. It was all too fragile.

"I am entirely too comfortable in your presence," he stated blandly, borrowing her words.

"Yes, you are, Sesshoumaru," she said similarly. Kissing her palm, he released her hand and rose. She followed him to the master suite and they slept peacefully for the remainder of the night. The morning would only prove difficult, both were well aware of this. They enjoyed each other's calming company for as long as they could, deciding that dawn would come all too soon.

* * *

'The years have been kind to me,' Kagome thought with a pleased sigh. Glancing up from her novel to the demon lord seated in front of his customary table, she grinned. 'Very kind indeed.'

Recalling all that had happened, she was amazed at how well everything had worked out in the end.

Of course, the final battle with Naraku had been difficult, but with the arrival of her lord, Kagome found the culmination of several years of shard hunting came down to a battle of the brothers against one power obsessed hanyou, who didn't even possess his prized jewel shards thanks to herself and his own incarnations.

With the enemy dead and other pressing business taken care of, attention turned to the matter at hand: the completed Shikon jewel. Trusting the hanyou to do what was best, she was pleasantly surprised when he unselfishly wished the jewel out of existence.

"Give my brother and Kagome a long and happy life together," were his words. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Still, one did not look a gift horse in the mouth. She gleefully kissed the hanyou full on the lips before jumping into the arm of her new husband, smothering him with affection he seemed quite unable to cope with...in front of an audience at least. The wish bound her life to his and her greatest worry was killed swiftly. As long as he lived, so would she, and thus it was possible to eternally be happy.

Truly, it was an amazing jewel.

The only side effect of wishing, something that was bound to happen with whatever wish was ultimately made, was the closing of the well. She was effectively trapped in the past, but she had learned to live without her family. She did not spend much time worrying about how they were doing. After all, they were only 500 years away and it was entirely possible that she would live long enough to be reunited with them.

Actually, it was only 450 years now...at least, she thought so. The years had run together into an odd tapestry of bold color, one hue melting seamlessly into the next. She didn't expect she would ever grow accustomed to the new flow of time that her seeming immortality had given her.

Maturing into 25, her body had ceased its progress, and she watched forever young as her friends grew older and wiser and started families. A few years back, Sango had passed into the nether world, followed shortly by Miroku who had seemed unwilling to continue his old age without his wife by his side. She couldn't blame him. Of course, it had been difficult, but she knew it was something she would have to get used to or go insane. The wish had its price and she would willingly pay it to stay with her lord. She could only accept that and watch as the pair's child matured as an adult.

In the meantime, she had her own family to tend. The two hanyou children she had thus far were simply amazing. Due to their odd parentage, they were capable of being as excitable as their mother one moment and as stern and unrelenting as their father the next. Keeping up with them was difficult but all the more enjoyed.

Her daughter quietly entered the library, still dressed in her night clothes, and slowly crawled into her mother's lap. Putting her book down in favor of her daughters black tresses and tiny fur covered ears, so much like her uncle's, she patiently waited for her to state her reasons for being awake.

"Uncle Inuyasha told me a scary story and I couldn't sleep," she said quietly, her expressive face displaying her fear. Apparently there had been another nightmare. Kagome couldn't wait until this stage of childhood came to an end for the girl. It would help if the hanyou quit regaling her with battle tales.

"Want me to tell you a story?" the miko asked while calmly stroking her delightful daughter's hair.

"Yes, please, momma."

"What do you want to hear tonight?"

The girl hesitated in thought.

"Tell me again about you and father."

The lord looked up from his paperwork. The miko met his eyes and smiled warmly before directing her gaze to a tortured paperback that had a special place on the wall.

"Well honey, it all started with a completely innocent addiction."

* * *


End file.
